Acknowledging the perfect joy of suffering in Christ, but having a little fun along the way.

A holy life

What is a holy life? We humans sometime "muck up" the concept with a lot of fancy over-thinking and ill-conceived ideas. We think holiness is flashy and big, with neon "HOLINESS" signs overhead, accompanied by great works, major writings: big, big stuff.

And it's not.

Holiness is saying "yes" to God when there's no one else around, and it's just the quiet of your heart yearning towards Him.

Holiness is getting up, night after night, to soothe a baby that just won't sleep, even when you'd really rather nudge your spouse to do it.

Holiness is fitting in a bit of prayer time on your way to work, because you know it's the only bit of time you'll have all day to focus on your Creator and King.

Holiness is learning to live in love and harmony with the people you love, even when you'd rather just indulge your selfishness.

One of our dear Franciscan Sisters just passed away. From the "outside", many people think Catholic sisters and nuns lead rather dull lives - "what do they do, pray all day?" Well, yes, but not in the way many imagine. Their lives are lives of prayer, but it's interwoven into everything else they do: work (yea, they have jobs!), community life, chores, hobbies, volunteer work and a multitude of other things.

The Sister that just passed lived well into her 90s, was an educator and a school administrator, loved children and shared the love of education with countless people in her life. Even past the age of "retirement" (sisters and nuns do NOT retire, let me tell you....), she was in the nursery school, painting and playing, guiding and directing, hugging and rocking.

She did all this because it was what God called her to do, and she wanted to serve God. A holy life, simple as that.